degenerative

[dih-jen-er-uh-tiv, -uh-rey-tiv] Origin

de·gen·er·a·tive

[dih-jen-er-uh-tiv, -uh-rey-tiv]
adjective
1.
tending to degenerate.
2.
characterized by degeneration.

Origin:
1840–50; degenerate + -ive

non·de·gen·er·a·tive, adjective
un·de·gen·er·a·tive, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Degenerative has a plethora of syllables.
So is floccinaucinihilipilification. Does it mean:
the estimation of something as valueless (encountered mainly as an example of one of the longest words in the English language).
a white, crystalline, water-insoluble solid, C14H9Cl5, usually derived from chloral by reaction with chlorobenzene in the presence of fuming sulfuric acid: used as an insecticide and as a scabicide and pediculicide: agricultural use prohibited in the U.S.
Collins
World English Dictionary
degenerative (dɪˈdʒɛnəˌreɪtɪv)
 
adj
(of a disease or condition) getting steadily worse

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

degenerative
from L. degenerat-, pp. stem of degenerare (see degenerate) + -ive.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

degenerative de·gen·er·a·tive (dĭ-jěn'ər-ə-tĭv)
adj.
Of, relating to, causing, or characterized by degeneration.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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